1
as in fight
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in field
active fighting during the course of a war
soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to fight
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate
we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of battle
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Musk occasionally has moments of introspection in his many court battles.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Officials say crews worked tirelessly through the night to battle the flames and secure the area.
—Monique John, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for battle
Noun
Those signatures also exclude more than 100,000 signatures that state officials refused to count, which is the focus of separate legal battle.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Musk occasionally has moments of introspection in his many court battles.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
After Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the new theocracy also battled Kurdish insurgents.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Officials say crews worked tirelessly through the night to battle the flames and secure the area.
—Monique John, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for battle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle
Noun
-
Seizures, fights also reported on calls Most of the 911 calls were made by the camp’s contract medical staff.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Pinkston player Charles Riley (12) and Kimball player Kayden Gray (00) fight to control the ball during a Kimball High School versus Pinkston High School boys basketball playoff game at the Ellis Davis Field House in Dallas, Texas, on Mar 6, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The curbs were initially enacted in 2020 after a border skirmish escalated tensions between the world’s two most populous nations.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The incident occurred during a skirmish between counterprotesters and an anti-Islam protest led by far-right activist Jake Lang outside Gracie Mansion.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Bruins shot a dominant 58% from the field, well outdoing the solid 43% for the Trojans.—
Sean Campbell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Inside a conference hall roughly the size of a football field sat hundreds of people—ambassadors, politicians, and scholars.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Devoted fans will catch every clever nod, while newcomers can enjoy the romance, rivalry, and Regency ridiculousness without the multi-volume commitment.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The long-simmering rivalry between Sunni and Shiite Muslims erupted into a civil war that killed tens of thousands of civilians.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Executives have been preaching the virtues of consolidation, framing it as the only way for legacy media companies to compete with technology companies.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Implats, which competes with Valterra and Sibanye-Stillwater in the platinum group metals market, has a long-standing presence in Zimbabwe, having steadily built its stake in Zimplats in the early 2000s and become the dominant owner, holding more than 80% of the company.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In all, there will be more than 150 beds available for people with mental health challenges, including 32 for young adults facing a severe crisis.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Open the door to the Chamber, and you're faced with a sink, a vanity, two wardrobes, and two frosted-glass doors, behind which are a shower and a toilet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officers were tasked with combating what officials said was a rise in thefts, people spending money obtained by defrauding the state’s unemployment system and quality of life issues like loud music and the smell of marijuana drifting into stores, according to a 2021 Times investigation.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Shimmick said his department has tried to address these concerns last summer using the fire department’s boat to combat these issues and that effort has resulted in 600 citations and 175 arrests.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Progressive groups are vowing to mount challenges from the left to any lawmaker who opposes the war powers vote, Axios reported.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Pairing those two together in nickel and dime packages could create uncanny pre-snap looks for opposing offenses.—
Mike Kaye
Updated March 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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